


Apologies, Glances (& Messed Up Chances)

by WhiskyInMind (MomentsLost)



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-31
Updated: 2010-05-31
Packaged: 2017-10-09 20:03:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/91028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomentsLost/pseuds/WhiskyInMind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel's back from hell and Willow finds him first...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apologies, Glances (& Messed Up Chances)

**Author's Note:**

> Set early season 3

Willow dropped the oversized bag of chips and the selection of dips she had been carrying. It was supposed to be Xander's turn to provide the snackage for tonight's research session but she knew two things: 1, his dad had just been laid off; and 2, Xander always brought salted chips. Even after she'd told him at least five times exactly what all that salt could do to a person's arteries. She'd even brought visual aids the last three times she'd given him that… not a lecture, because it totally wasn't a lecture. It was more an informative discussion. Minus the whole… discussion part.

Not that any of that was important right now because, hello? completely impossible person right in front of her? Should really kinda take priority. Strike that, number one priority should really be the fact that the completely impossible person was actually a completely impossible _vampire_, right in front of her.

And for some reason all she can focus on is the fact that he's got no shirt on.

Almost makes her think of the Incredible Hulk comics she had used to read with Jesse and Xander - they'd always just snorted when she commented on how convenient it was that no matter how much bigger he got, Dr Banner's pants still managed to stay over the crucial area.

Willow's eyes tracked down - and she really wanted to think it was involuntary, but she had a psychiatrist for a mother, her id might be in charge here, but her ego was cheering it on from the sidelines. Damn. He had pants on.

The blush started. What was she thinking? At least two impossible things were going on right in front of her and all she was interested in was whether or not she could see his…_thing_.

"Willow?"

His voice, cracked, whispery, almost unrecognisable though it was, made her jump.

"Angel? Is that…?" She tried to take a deep breath but the lump in her throat was kinda hindering that. "You… you're… You CAN'T BE HERE!"

And okay, so maybe she shouldn't have shouted that last part but it wasn't like she had much choice - what with the whole lump in her throat and completely impossible situation going on. Heck, the world was lucky she was only shouting!

But when he flinched away and actually seemed to be cringing at her voice, she softened her tone. "Angel?"  
He flinched again. But this time he almost glanced up at her in that weird twitchy way he had. (Willow had never seen a junkie really jonesing for a fix, but if she had she would have had the perfect simile to describe his actions.)

Before she could actually think of replying he was right _there_, Willow had always thought of herself as a tactile person, hugging was almost as automatic to her as breathing. But for him, for _Angel_ to be right there in her personal space? She hadn't realised the blush could actually get any hotter but apparently it could.

His arms snaked around her until he was actually draped over her. "Um," she said, past the lump in her throat. "Aren't you dead? I mean… There was the whole trying to end the world and the sword and everything…Buffy said - "

He flinched again and she swore internally for mentioning Buffy. Of all the stupid things to say, even apart from the fact that apparently the last time he'd seen the Slayer she'd run him through with a sword, it was _Buffy_. The other half of that whole big star crossed lovers' tragic romance.

His head dropped onto her shoulder that, given the height difference between them was probably going to result in a crick in his neck. Neck. Throat. This was it. He was back, somehow, and he was a vampire.

She was dead. She wouldn't even have the chance to say goodbye to any of her friends. She wouldn't even have the chance to acknowledge how blasé she'd gotten lately - what was she thinking, taking a shortcut through Restfield Cemetery after dark, alone. She closed her eyes. Then, before she knew what was happening he was breathing into her hair, "The spell worked. You saved me."

Suddenly the weight of him leaning against her was gone and she as she blinked she became aware of a rapidly dissipating cloud of… dust. As it drifted down Willow could make out the apparently furious face of the New Slayer on the Block. "Faith! What did you do?!" It was all she could do not to scream at the girl.

"Slaying vampires. For which, by the way, you're welcome." Faith said. "What the hell were you thinking out here? Walking alone through a bone-yard?! How the hell have you managed to stay alive so long?"

Willow almost snapped at that - partly because those self-same thoughts had gone through her head bare moments ago, but mostly because there was just something about Faith that put her back up. Right now though, two thoughts were going through her mind.

Angel had been Angel again; her spell had worked.

And now, Angel was gone.

How was she going to tell Buffy?


End file.
